Matt Bower
Partner
Hong Kong
Matt Bower
Partner
Hong Kong
Contact details
Matt Bower is a partner in Allen & Overy's litigation and dispute resolution department in Hong Kong. Matt advises financial institutions and corporates in connection with litigation in the High Courts of Hong Kong and England & Wales, as well as on internal and regulatory investigations.
Matt has particular experience of disputes arising from derivative, syndicated loan and asset management complaints and extensive trial experience. Matt also has substantial experience of advising clients on the conduct of regulatory and internal investigations in the Asia-Pacific region, having advised on some of the most high profile benchmark investigations in the region concerning financial services conduct and competition issues and a number of investigations regarding the assessment of client suitability for financial products, and investigations on broader misconduct such as bullying.
Matt is also committed to pro bono work and in 2019 led the team conducting a pro-bono review of every piece of legislation, and certain Government policies, in Hong Kong, to identify differences in treatment between individuals based on their relationship status (see here for the report).
Matt is recommended by Chambers Greater China Region 2023, which quotes a client as saying that “Matt is our number-one go-to lawyer for all things litigation. He is simply unbeatable in his knowledge and the quality of the advice he provides, and he navigates all areas of the business with ease in an approachable and user-friendly manner.” Chambers Asia Pacific 2022 noted that a client characterises him as “excellent; very pragmatic, sensible and also very good at strategy and tactics, which is a big part of litigation advice.”
Legal 500 2022 also recommends Matt, stating that he “is a key name to note due to his extensive experience of handling disputes relating to syndicated lending, asset management and derivatives issues.”, and that he is “also [a] key figure [in]… regulatory compliance issues concerning banks as well as other financial institutions, in addition to cryptocurrency payment and trading platforms.”
Matt is qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong and England & Wales.
Expertise
Practices
Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations
Investigations, Enforcement and Business Crime
Sectors
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2003
Admitted as solicitor, Hong Kong, 2007
Academic
BA, Law, Durham University, 1999
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Blog Post: 31 August 2023
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Expertise
Practices
Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations
Investigations, Enforcement and Business Crime
Sectors
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2003
Admitted as solicitor, Hong Kong, 2007
Academic
BA, Law, Durham University, 1999
Other noteworthy experience
Advising:
- An international investment bank in connection with a sensitive investigation arising out of the listing of a PRC technology company in the U.S., including on the application of new data and national security laws in APAC when responding to U.S. government investigations.
- A global media group in the defence of proceedings brought against it by a shareholder claiming to have been unfairly prejudiced by the management of the company.
- A global bank in regulatory investigations across APAC regarding its foreign exchange trading operations, the Hong Kong aspects of which lasted 12 months.
- A hedge fund on an investigation by the SFC into suspected insider dealing, including liaising with, and assisting with the preparation of responses to information requests from, the SFC.
- An international investment bank on global issues arising from a request by the Monetary Authority of Singapore for our client to undertake an enquiry into its submissions for SIBOR, SOR and NDFs.
- A financial institution in defence of multiple investigations by the Korean competition authority for breach of Korean anti-trust law, via conduct both onshore and offshore the Korean market.
- One of the largest private investment firms in Asia in relation to cyber-security matters, including the removal of a fraudulent website and WhatsApp / Telegram chat groups.
- A state-owned alternative investment management company on its litigation strategy in connection with the realisation of its stake in a private equity investment fund.
- A global bank in respect of proceedings brought against it for alleged mis-selling of derivative trades in Mainland China and its strategic options to seek declaratory relief in England as a defence.
- An Australian medical research company on a sophisticated business email compromise fraud, of which it was the victim, leading to the client obtaining full recovery of all monies known to remain within Hong Kong.
